I'M CONSTANTLY ASKED, "DO I NEED A BRAND PLATFORM" AND MY ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME:

YOU NEED A BRAND PLATFORM IF YOU HAVE A...

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A personal brand is simply: how you’re perceived. It’s how you present yourself to the world. Your reputation and image. And branding is: controlling that perception through strategy. And perception is everything.

Personal branding is about your goal and purpose. And you have to keep this narrow, direct, and obvious so you aren’t displaying some all-over-the-map persona, even if your interests and personality are sometimes all-over-the-map. You’ll create your brand image very intentionally by only using the traits that fit consistently with both you and your company. Establishing clear guidelines turns your brand into a guide to help you keep a clear focus.

YOU as an individual are the best offering. You are your brand. If you want to be the first image that pops into your audience’s mind, you have to take control of your message and actually communicate your value.

You can't expect your prospective customers to know something, unless you tell it to them. It is literally your responsibility to tell people just how amazing you are.

It is up to you to frame your value as simply and clearly as possible in a way that your target audience will understand. If you don’t do this you risk people guessing what you’re doing and coming to the wrong conclusion... or worse, never thinking about you or what you do at all. When people know what you do and how you can help people, they will want to work with you and share you with their friends.

We ultimately have complete control over our personal image and how others perceive us. If we randomly fling social media posts, website color palettes, and sales templates into the universe with no clear intention, we are letting others define us. And let’s face it, when other people pick your nickname, it’s rarely dripping with the coolness you imagined.

What I’m saying is this: Brand or be branded.

Why bother branding, you ask? For the same reasons these other companies bother. It works. Having a clear brand sells. It creates a loyal following of repeat customers who feel like you just ‘get’ them. It’s what differentiates you from everyone else who does what you do. And no matter how small your niche feels, there are TONS of people doing exactly what you do or something very similar.

THE STATS ARE REVEALING

Consistency is key. It takes five to seven impressions for someone to remember a brand. (source)

Brands that are consistently presented are 3 to 4 times are more likely to experience brand visibility. (source)

The average revenue increase attributed to always presenting the brand consistently is 23%. (source)

The greatest negative impact of inconsistent brand usage is the creation of confusion in the market. (source)

The good news? Anyone, regardless of your background, can build a powerful brand. It does take time to build a brand platform, but it’s totally doable if you want it. (And I know you do.)

PERSONAL BRANDING IS A VITAL SKILL FOR PROFESSIONALS

WHO NEEDS A PERSONAL BRAND?

Consultants

Public Speakers

Coaches

Authors

Sales Experts

CEOs

Entrepreneurs

Performers

Financial Advisors

Bloggers

Artists

Podcasters

Network Marketers

Pro Athletes

Entertainers

Real Estate Agents

High Profile Individuals

Celebrities

No matter what you want to be known for, learning to strategically present, position, and promote yourself is essential. Strategically cultivating your image is the best move you’ll ever make...but only if you use a winning strategy.

Hope Brookins is a personal branding and media strategist. She turns clients into media-ready personalities through one-on-one consulting and online training programs. She also offers in-person presentations on branding and media training for groups.